Students should have a significant voice in school-based decision-making in every high school. They rarely do. With the teaching of democracy a stated goal of every high school, I still find this hard to believe.

An Early Experiment in Democracy

We'll get back to this, but first travel back in time with me to the year 1970, and observe a small group of students in a public high school in the process of achieving two goals: (1) the creation of a student-faculty council charged with making policy changes; and (2) two student representatives -- with voting rights -- added to the school's curriculum council. They build a group of allies composed of two members of the school board, the local newspaper editor, the head of the PTA and a few of the most prominent business leaders in the community. The principal receives phone calls from a number of members of this adult alliance. He meets with the students and grants them exactly what they've asked for.

Although I played no part in their actions, I knew all of these students. They had participated in a required Social Studies unit on "Education in America," in which they had learned a lot about the political processes of education. One of the goals of that curriculum was to train students to participate actively and effectively in our political system. These students were smart, mature and, importantly, politically literate.

It's exemplary when politically savvy students work within the system to effectively change a school. But there was one thing wrong with the scenario I described. There already should have been student involvement in the school's decision-making processes, initiated and supported by administration and faculty leaders. The students shouldn't have had to apply pressure to have that happen.

Giving Students a Voice

Arguably, our high schools generally do a good job of achieving their primary purpose of preparing students academically. But very few do a good job of preparing them for their role as active, responsible, informed citizens in a democracy, despite the fact that the teaching of democracy is a stated goal for most schools.

Students require teaching and modeling to fully appreciate the democratic process. This can take place through the curriculum, with Social Studies the most likely location. But on a school-wide level, the primary place to start is by giving students a significant role in school decision-making and policy formation.

There are four critical underlying points:

To effectively teach democracy, you have to model it; and to teach students how to be actively engaged citizens, you have to enable them to practice this.

In a democracy, those most affected by decisions should have a voice in making them. This principle is included in the United Nations' Convention of the Rights of the Child. The U.S. is the only country that has failed to ratify it.

There are many high school students whose insights, perceptiveness and intelligence could make a substantive difference in school reform, helping changes happen faster and more effectively. These include change in curricula, school climate and testing.

Student participation in decision-making improves student outcomes. It makes them more attached to school, builds self-esteem and improves tolerance and appreciation of others. Student participation can also lead to the development of young adults who think that they can make a difference.

While student views should be secondary to the expertise of teachers and administrators, they should still be an explicit and significant part of every school's decision-making processes. And one of the objectives for every Social Studies program should be to help train students to function effectively in that process.

None of these changes require major restructuring of how a school operates. There are excellent models available. What it takes is an administration that recognizes both the challenge and the need for change.

Every teacher and administrator should review what was accomplished at Federal Hocking High School in Ohio, documented beautifully by George Wood in Time to Learn.

This is not rocket science. It is easy to accomplish and far more about attitude than about procedure. Work with students in your school to take this to the next step. We know that we get the government we deserve and, especially in this election year, it might be good to remember that our schools have a prime responsibility for this.

Teachers can model democratic principles through other means rather than relinquishing or sharing decision making into the hands of inexperienced children. I would rely on an effective classroom activity used in the past where students run for "office" on the classroom and conduct appropriate "campaigns." Add this to the teacher imparting their own knowledge of the free democratic system via classroom discussion or direct instruction should be sufficient until students reach the age of 18 when they are free to officially register and participate on their own.

I'm sorry, but American society no longer raises children to accept some important adult responsibilities prior to the age of 18, because we have descended into a retro-adolescent obsessed "play" society where many seek to perpetuate their childhoods and all their trappings well into their thirties and beyond. All one needs as proof is to note the number of thirty-somethings (mostly males) who still play videogames and read comic books, two very juvenile activities that truly mature adults abandon years earlier.

With the kind of mindset embraced by our youth, it would be foolish to entertain their input on important matters if only for some token non-bearing function within the decision making process.

As for the U.S. choosing not to ratify the United Nations policy regarding children's "rights," I applaud that move. Our Constitution provides a sufficient menu of guarantees of freedom and liberty for ALL Americans, regardless of age, that the United Nations could never surpass.

We recently finished filming at Mission Hill Pilot School, a K-8 public school in Boston. Being a pilot school allows Mission Hill to create many of their own policies. One of those is including student representatives on their governing board. This is a board with significant decision making responsibilities. Watching these 8th graders interact with adults, listen attentively, share their opinions, and act judiciously was a pleasure indeed. To call such involvement token is to miss the importance role modeling has for young people. Not every 8th grader would be ready to take on such a task, but the ones who are should be given the opportunity to lead by example.

I have the opportunity to change how a social studies department in one school I supervise teaches. I'd love to follow this model. However, it would't be school wide. Is it possible to do this just in a social studies class? I imagine it could be.

I disagree. I certainly am not suggesting that we "relinquish decision making." Those are your words and not my intent. I also think that, while there are students like the ones you describe, many of the high school students I know are fully capable and not at all irresponsible or mindless. I've even seen this working with so called at-risk troublemaker kids who, when given the responsibility of participating, stop getting into trouble.

And, by the way, I know adult leaders who are very mature, good in their occupations and in their home lives, who enjoy video games as recreation. And, after a long successful career, I too read comic books (well that pushes it a little...they are graphic novels!)

The article does say, "While student views should be secondary to the expertise of teachers and administrators, they should still be an explicit and significant part of every school's decision-making processes."

Adults in a school aren't giving up their role as leaders in the school. Obviously, and crazy idea brought up by students would be vetoed (I'd hope at least), but I believe democratizing the school helps give students a sense of ownership in their own education. Sure, in decades past, it was easy to have students "sit down and shut up," but we don't live in that society anymore.

When I see young people who choose not to vote, I take that to mean that they aren't invested in their community. One way to increase that is to let them practice this involvement. Which is why we have mock elections and such, but those don't give the students leadership experience. I'd also imagine that the students who do take the lead, who do get the attention of adults in the room, are mature enough to handle the experience. It's happened in the past. Many great men and women of history were teenagers when they accomplished their goals. It would be sad to have these potential leaders in a classroom today where they weren't allowed to grow under adult supervision and guidance.

[quote]I have the opportunity to change how a social studies department in one school I supervise teaches. I'd love to follow this model. However, it would't be school wide. Is it possible to do this just in a social studies class? I imagine it could be.[/quote]

Absolutely fine to do this in a classroom and a good start. Check out my earlier column that focuses on doing this on a classroom level....and good luck!

[quote]
The article does say, "While student views should be secondary to the expertise of teachers and administrators, they should still be an explicit and significant part of every school's decision-making processes.".[/quote]

I'm pleased that you cited this, because it is a glaring example of how poorly conceived the whole initiative seems to be. If you consider a viewpoint to be "explicit and significant," then how on earth can you judge it to be "secondary"?

The very age/experience-based hierarchy this plan wishes to avoid to promote inclusiveness is still implicitly stated.

You should either commit to these kids 100% or not at all. Gray areas generally doom the most well intended initiatives

Many of my most responsible and effective student leaders (a) share my view on students having a highly effective role while still deferring on areas where teachers have more expertise, and (b) think black and white views on key political and educational issues as opposed to more "grey" positions is one of the major problems in our national habits of thought.

Mark

[quote][quote]The article does say, "While student views should be secondary to the expertise of teachers and administrators, they should still be an explicit and significant part of every school's decision-making processes.".[/quote]

I'm pleased that you cited this, because it is a glaring example of how poorly conceived the whole initiative seems to be. If you consider a viewpoint to be "explicit and significant," then how on earth can you judge it to be "secondary"?

The very age/experience-based hierarchy this plan wishes to avoid to promote inclusiveness is still implicitly stated.

You should either commit to these kids 100% or not at all. Gray areas generally doom the most well intended initiatives[/quote]